Improvement in clasps for pocket-books



L. MESSER.

. CLASPS FOB. POCKET-BOOKS. No. 176,663. Patented April as, me.

' WWM KZJW/MZ To all whom it may concern:

' with one of my clasps.

NI'IED STATES LOUIS MESSEB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLASPS FOR POCKET-BOOKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No 176,663, dated April 25, 1876; application filed March 22, 1876.

Be it known that I, LOUIS'MESSER, of th city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clasps for Pocket-Books and other articles, which improvement is fully set forth in the followin g specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 represents a plan of a pocket-book Fig. 2is a horizontal section of the clasp on a larger scale than the previous figure. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same in the plan as m, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section in the plane 9 y, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 shows the blank for the thumb-piece.

.Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a clasp for pocketbooks and other articles of a similar nature, which is composed of a case secured to a binding-strip, and containing a spring latch, which, when the article is closed, engages with a hook fastened to another binding-strip; The latch-containing case is made of sheet metal bent up in the desired form, and provided with a tip to bear against the side of its binding-strip, and with ears which are passed through slots in the upper face of the binding strip, and which, after having been passed through said slots, are bent down so "as to retain the case firmly in position. The hook which engages with the spring-latch is also formed of sheet metal, being made in one piece with a thumb-piece, which is provided with lugs or cars, which, after having been passed through slots in the corresponding binding-strip, are spread so as to secure said thumb-piece, together with its hook, firmly in position.

In the drawing, the letter A designates the latch-containing case of my clasp, and the letter B the thumb-piece, which carries the hook that engages with the latch in the case A, both the case and the thumb-piece being secured to metallic binding-strips O D, as will be presently more fully explained. The case A is bent up of sheet metal, and it is provided with a lip, a, and with two ears, I) b, said lip being placed against the side of the bindingstrip 0, (see Fig. 4,) which is provided with slots 0 c, Fig. 3, to receive the ears I) b. When the ears are bent over, as shown in Fig. 3, the

of which is exposed to the action of a spring,

f. (See Fig. 2.) The thumb-piece B is made of sheet metal cut out in the form shown in Fig. 5. When this blank is doubled up, as

shown in Fig. 4, it forms a hook, g, and three duplex ears, h. These earsare passed through slots in the binding-strip D, and then they are spread, as shown in Fig. 4, so as to retain the thumb-piece firmly in position. The hook g is intended to engage with the latch d. (See Fig. 2.) When the outer end of said latch is pressed back, the hook g is released, and the clasp can be opened. By these means a clasp is obtained which can be made with little labor, and which can be readily and firmly attached to metallic binding-strips G D, said binding strips. serving to secure the clasp to those parts of a pocket-book, or other article of a similar nature, which are to be closed by means of the clasp.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, with metallic bindingstrips 0 D, of alatch-containing case, A, provided with a lip, 11., and with ears I) I), and of a thumb-piece, B, provided with a hook, g, and with cars h h, all constructed and operating substantially in the manner herein shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 20th dayof March, 1876.

' LOUIS MESSER. [L. s.]

Witnesses J. VAN SANTVOOBD, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

